Why do some Republicans prefer to debate in front of total strangers than in front of — horrors! — a room full of Republicans!

Apparently, debating in front of a room full of total strangers is easier for some of our California Republicans than debating in front of their fellow conservatives.

Indeed, California’s GOP Senate candidates Tom Campbell, Chuck DeVore and Carly Fiorina have agreed to debate — before actual TV cameras and a live audience — May 6 in LA. Co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters and KABC-TV in LA.

The deets: It will be moderated by an on-air type from KABC-TV and possibly co-moderated by a reporter from another ABC affiliate in California. The hourlong gig will be taped on a Thursday and air sometime the following Sunday, debate show producer Scott Regberg told us.

We joshingly asked if the reason for the delayed broadcast was because of the fear of Tom Campbell dropping a lot of f-bombs on a live show.

Regberg did not laugh.

But all the Senate wanna-bes have yet to agree to a throw-down at the California Republican Convention. Neither have the guv candidates. OK, well, one of them — state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner — wants to debate. In fact, he wants to debate Meg Whitman so badly that Poiz said Thursday that he’s willing to give up his speaker time for a debate. (Ahem! We predicted this earlier this week.

A candidate willing to give up his speaker time? Wow. Mark this one down, kids. It may be a first. (Being down big time in the polls elicits the darkest emotions from politicians.)

And Poiz is asking his supporters to sign a petition, asking the California Republican Party to schedule a debate.

“We are currently moving forward with a convention that has no planned debates in the GOP primaries for Governor or United States Senate because our discussions with the campaigns did not indicate that all candidates would participate. If we were to hear from all of the major candidates in either of those primaries that they would like the CRP to facilitate a debate at the convention, we would be pleased to do so.”

Translation: If Meg doesn’t want to debate, there won’t be a debate….so don’t bet the house on a debate. (Unless you’re in foreclosure, then you have more pressing concerns than seeing a billionaire debate a multi-millionaire.)

Nonetheless, responded Team Poizner’s Jarrod Agen Thursday:

“Steve Poizner is very willing to debate, he has consistently let the CRP know that, and finds it amazing that anyone who claims to be a Republican and wants the Republican nomination would be unwilling to debate before the Republican Party.”

So far, Flash said “40 percent of members have let me know their opinion on the matter. By a ratio of over 10-1 members would like to see the Republican contenders debate at the convention!

Poizner and Whitman are scheduled to debate March 15– the day after the GOP convention ends — in Orange County. But Flash, among others, have criticized the debate sponsored by the donor group New Majority debate for excluding the party’s rank-and-file. Plus, there’s no ABC reporters moderating.